Her glistening eyes found his and he saw the conflict in them. She blinked to send back the threatening errant tears, sniffling. Quietly, he waited for her to decide. "Please, you mustn't tell another." It was almost a whisper. He knew not what she intended to reveal, but with a single nod, he promised. She hugged herself and exhaled deeply. "We are not sisters by blood." She revealed.Thoroughly surprised, his eyebrows hitched. "You are not?"Lady Beth nodded. Charles shifted. "Gwen is my family by heart." She searched out his eyes desperately. What was she hoping to find? "She was the daughter of a Duke of Devonfort.""The Duke of Devonfort?" That had been totally unexpected. She nodded. Devonfort was a great Duchy, though not as powerful and vast as his, still it had strength and held quite enough authority. This unexpected tale had him more intrigued than finding out Brand had been kidnapped.Lady Beth ran her hands over her arms, leaving Charles to wonder if she was cold. "Her bi

* * *For two days the council meeting ran and on both days, Charles battled to rid himself of the thoughts of Lady Beth. Her hair, the fiery, unruly mass invaded his thoughts over and over again. He wished he had defiled honour and reached out to them as they lay on her back. Wished he had felt how silky they were. Through his distracted thought, he heard someone note on the cost and manpower to push back the bandits and another suggested complete eradication, but Charles didn't care for that, he couldn't care for anything else. Brand had inquired if he was well and truthfully, Charles no longer was sure. On the first day, while the gentlemen discussed the bandits and how best to rid themselves of them, Charles thought continuously of Lady Beth, only coming back to the room when inquired to utter a word of agreement.When the discussion had moved further away from security unto humanitarian works and poverty eradication, Charles was even more uninterested. All that held his interest

Beth held on tighter to her light cover and continued. "A letter arrived today from Rosethorn Hill. Lord D'Averette has taken a fancy to my cousin; he wishes to court her with the intent of marriage." She smiled. "Lucy has never looked happier, I think." The Duke remained silent, his lips sealed. Beth swallowed. "I suppose another council meeting holds tomorrow, how was it today?" She asked. "It must be matters of extreme importance for the discussions to take so long." She repeated her statement, hoping he would finally speak, still nothing. "Are you not exhausted yet, My Lord?"A moment. "Are you?" The Duke finally spoke, calmly and quietly.Beth was confused. Why was the question returned to her? "No, I am not. As you said, I had been waiting." She flinched. Why had she said that? "I was surprised by your calling at my door.""I apologize for calling you out."Beth recoiled. Did he think her exhausted and annoyed at his call? "Your grace, it is silly to apologize. Had I not waited

When he had asked for her company to the Castle, it had purely been out of curiosity. He wanted, needed, to know why in her presence he was relieved and free, eager to try and even dare to fail. After the horse ride, while she was talking about her return to her relatives' home and finally to Ireland, he had elicited a promise from her to meet him every day before the departure, and everyday unfailing, she had kept her promise.It was the fourth day after he returned from the Castle, and as the night before, Charles waited for Beth to join him for another nightly rendezvous as he drank his wine directly from the bottle. The windy evening did little to lower his body temperature, for the wine warmed him already. Sitting there, at the top of their hill – as she had called it – he finally agreed to himself that he would miss the Irish woman when she returned home.Beth had, for the past few days, been a kindred spirit, who, much to his surprise and delight, understood him and every word h

Beth had never felt that way before, not that she had had any sort of experience to compare with, still it was exhilarating. She felt consumed, though she was not sure which was consuming her. The wine, or the kiss? Lord Carlisle's hand moved to the small of her back, while the other went still, away from her body. Good gracious, he was a marvellous kisser. She was pressed against his side and when he pulled her to himself, her hand fell onto his thigh.The fire crackled and the wind picked up, but Beth felt nothing from the outside, the fire within her had her heated, and his lips had her completely engrossed. She was hot, and deep between her thighs, she was starting to feel an ache, a sweet and upsetting ache that somehow she knew only Lord Carlisle could ease. His hand upon her waist contributed greatly to the sweet ache. Unconsciously, she wished he would move the hand underneath her skirt to ease the ache.He sat up straight, bringing her with him, kissing her deeply and more se